Multi-Consortia cooperation efforts for WEBSIM Johnny Garcia Chief Technologist General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems Suffolk, Virginia (757) 673-2400 John.garcia@gd-ais.com

“Alone we can do so little, together we can so do much.” Helen Keller

Topics Why Definitions Open Standards Obstacles Take Aways

Consortium A consortium is a group of two or more agencies that enter into a cooperative agreement to share information or provide services that benefit standards. Participating groups may pool their individual fiscal, human, and material resources to take advantage of economies of scale, or arrange to share technical expertise. Consortia may be formed within business sectors, as when a number of technology companies collaborate to offer advanced technological services, or across business sectors.

Why are we here Clarity of Purpose Formal Informal Competitive Advantage for Interoperability Partnerships Eliminate Duplication Plug and play components/technology

Open Standards Importance DOD mandated GD AIS and Multi-consortia Open standards bodies (SISO, OGC, W3D, W3C WEBSIM etc.) Terrain Visualization Interoperable code Data Standards

Obstacles Personnel and Financial How do we share resources with unusual partners? There is no generalization as to Web lifestyle. Technology obstacles The complexity is more than that of the content - there is also the initiation to the use of technologies, information Assurance, security and the added increase in value. With the lowering of certain costs and with access to technology, users have their own system and data: they have gained the expertise - the knowledge, how do you make a standard this way. It is a matter of organizing ourselves around the knowledge. Does M&S/open standards have a role in a knowledge-based society? We then need to speak of "technological literacy". What are we doing to provide information? Our mandates as information providers have changed.

? What is the consortium’s mission and purpose? Is the mission and purpose best met with a formal or informal consortium? Who is the consortium designed to serve: customer, communities, standards, all? What resources, financial or other, are needed to support the consortium’s mission and progress? What other consortia have complementary missions and resources which could enhance the consortium’s value to members?